Convertible seat bed with forwardturning back



July 7, 1953 s. A. KELLY, JR., EIAL 2,644,170

CONVERTIBLE SEAT BED WITH FORWARD-TURNING BACK Filed April 19, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS STEPHEN A. KELLY Je. BY 2; WILLIAM BJJNosAY ATTORNEY y 7, 1953 s. A. KELLY, JR. ETAL 2,644,170

CONVERTIBLE SEAT BED WITH FORWARD-TURNING BACK Filed April 19, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 LY J2.

u.uAM E.LmosAY M ATTORNEY INVENTORS EPHEN A. K51.

I lm

I zontal position.

Patented July 7, 1953 CONVERTIBLE SEAT BEDWITH FORWARD- TURNING BACK Stephen A. Kelly, Jr., Manhasset, and William R. Lindsay, Floral Park, N. Y., assignors to Kelcon Corporation, Flushing, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application April 19, 1947, Serial No. 742,556 g 4 Claims.

cushions and a mattress have both been em- .ployed in the same device, a back-member of a lounge carrying on its front surface a suitable back-rest cushion and on its rear surface carrying a spring mattress; said back-member being adapted to be moved into alternate positions, one of such positions being the erect lounge or seat-forming position in which the back-member cooperates with a lounge-seat member having seat cushions to produce a comfortable lounge or seat, and the other position being a bed-making position in which the back-member having .the mattress is moved into and supported in hori- In bed-making position, the comfortable springmattress is moved to a position over the seat cushions and seat cushions are either removable to permit a lowering of the mattress or said mattress and back-cushion member is positioned above the position of the seat cushion and therefore too high for comfort. The removal of cushions is objectionable because of the loose parts, the labor required, the fact that such removed cushions take up space, and also because suchhandling and removal of the cushions cause wear and tear on the device under consideration.

In devices of the type specified, the cushioned lounge-seat member, with which the seat-back member cooperates, has in lounge or seat-forming position been fixedly supported in a suitable lounge-seat frame and to avoid loose cushions the seat-back member carrying the spring mattress has been folded over this fixed seat member. This results in a bed that will be unduly high and therefore objectionable. This may, to some extent, be compensated for by reducing the conventional height of the lounge or seat, but if loose cushions are to be avoided, the seat member must either be positioned too low or the bed too high for the comfort of the user.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a bed-lounge or seat-berth construction in which the lounge-seat member may be positioned in a conventional comfortable positions during use as a seat, allcushions may be retained se-e curely in place, and the movement from loungemaking position into bed-making position of the back member carrying the seat-back and mattress will simultaneously cause the seat-member of the lounge to be lowered preferably in a rearward and downward movement out of the path of the cushion of the lounge back member and the mattress carried by said back member will be moved into substantially the place of the seat member at the proper height and position'for the comfort of the user, and similarly upon movement of the seat back member in reverse direction, the partswill be replaced to provide a comfortable lounge.

Another object of our invention is, in a device of the character specified, to provide fixed pivots disposed between its ends for pivotally-moving the seat-back member into its alternate ,positions and to utilize pull-arms connected with a portion of said mattress-carrying seat-back member below such fixed pivots to move or shift said seat member and its cushion downwardly and to the rear side of the frame of the device so as to permit the movement of saidseat member and its cushion into aspace below the bedmaking position of the seat-back member and upon reverse movement of said seat-back member to shift said seat member with its cushion back into its lounge or seat-making position.

Still another object of our invention is to provide, in combination with positively-actuated pull-arms hereinabove specified, a track for guiding one edge, and preferably the front edge, of the seat member to cause the said seat member to be shifted downwardly and rearwardly in said frame, upon one movement and upwardly and forwardly upon a reverse movement.

Another object of our invention is to provide spring balancing means whereby the movement of the mattress-carrying seat-back member and the shiftable seat member will ,be thoroughly balanced during movements thereof in the fixed frame of the device and will be securely held in the alternate position thereof.

Still another object of our invention is to pro= vide means forautomatically locking the mattress-carrying back member in its bed-making position and also means for engaging and look? ing the parts when the members are in loungeforming position. 1

Still another object of our invention is, in a device of the character specified, to provide a rigid frame or pan for said movable seat member combined with a fixed support for the front edge of the seat and a movable support for the rear edge thereof preferably having a supporting engagement with said pan or frame along a longitudinal axis disposed between the middle of the seat and the rear edge thereof, whereby said seat frame may be rigidly supported to provide a comfortable seat and an upward folding or tilting of said seatframe about the rear axis thereof will enable access to stowing space beneath the seat in its lounge-forming position.

Still another object of our invention is in a shiftable seat of the character specified to provide spring-balancing means coupled with flexible pull members adapted to have an initial assisting pull on the back member and thereafter successively to produce a's'pring balancing pull in the opposite direction against 'the downward movement of the seat-back and seat me irnbers.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined asto coact and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and

comprises in one ofitsadaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

. .Fig. 1 is a .view in front elevation of "a bedlounge in erect-lounge-forming position;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line '2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

. Fig. 3 is a vertical section 'on the line 8-4 of Fig. .1 looking in the. direction of 'the'arrows and showing our device in lounge-forming position;

Fig; 4 is a fragmentary section 'on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of 'the arrows;

Fig.5 is a'section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 8 showing the device in bed-making position;

Fig. .6 is a fragmentary section'on the line 8--6 Of-Fig, 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; and.

..IElg. .7 is a. detailed view of the locking mechanism employed for locking the mattress carrying member in bed-making position.

yReferring now to these drawings which illustrate .a1preferred embodimentof my invention, Lindicates. a supporting frame member of our convertible bed andlounge unit. As illustrated, the framefmember II includes a hollow back portion 2, end members 3-3 "preferably'having forward extensions 4-4 and at'the forward" edge of the device a seat-supporting front-rail or plate iwhich preferably "extends from the extension 4 to the extension 4* in a plane below a seatmember 6 which, in the lounge-forming position of. therdevice, is loosely supported at its front edge .69 by said rail 5 and is pivotally supported at opposite ends of its rear. portion and rear edge to cause said seatv to be firmly supported in elevated seat-rforming position inthe plane of the top of said rail 5 and to bemovable from said looselysupported lounge-forming position to a lowered out-of-the-way position as hereinafter specified. i 7 As shown, the rail 5 "isprovided below the top thereof with a re-entrant bend at 5 and has at its upper edge "an inturned, horizontal fixed flange 5 on which, in said lounge forming position,.the front portion of saidseat member 6 is adaptedto rest,"and in the form of seat illustrated, the bottom corner of such front edge "is reinforced by a corner angle-member l'which rests on the inturned supporting flange 5 The seat member, as illustrated, comprises a rigid cushion-supporting pan or frame 6 and a cushion 6 The said rear portion of the pan 6 is pivotally supported on a pair of arms 8 projecting .4. 7 forwardly from the foldable seat-back member II and is pivotally movable about an intermediate axis positioned between the middle of opposite end rails 6 of said pan of the seat member 6 and the rear edge 6 thereof. A pivotal support comprising the pivots 9 in the arms 8 is thus provided for said rear portionli and the seat member 6, and when said arms 8 are moved, a bodily movement of said seat 6 will be caused. At the same time, while the device is in its lounge-forming position, means is provided to permit a manual upward tilting of the front edge about said intermediate axis to enable access to stowing space beneath the seat.

In accordance with our invention, the seat -mi'nber is s'iftable bodily ofi the flanges 5 and movable downwardly on guide members In and such bodily shifting is accomplished upon a folding or converting movement or operation of a seatback member II when said seat back member II is moved from the erected lounge-forming positionshown in Fig. "3 to the bedmakingposb tion shown in Fig. 5"as will now be 'more particularly specified.

'In'the embodiment of our inventionillustrated,

.the seat-back'member II in lounge-forming'position extends above and below the seat member 5 and is foldable or pivotally movable 'about fixed pivots "I2= on'the supporting frame I and-positioned intermediate the longitudinal edges of said seat back'member II 'whichhas-forwardlyextending lugs li with which said fixedpivots I2 engage. Said seat-back member II comprises a rigid elongated frame pr Dan member Il -and the pivots I2 are positioned'at substantially seat height above the'fioorto'provide dual sections, one comprising a relatively long section II which, in seat-forming position, extends upwardly a suitable distance above said pivots'andis provided on its forward. face with a non-removably mounted back-cushion I3, whiletheother section I 5 is relatively short, extending'in' said position downwardly below said pivots, and is employed during-a folding or converting movement of the said member Has-a lever for bodily shifting the seat members as hereinabove specified. The arms 8 having the seat-supporting. ivots '9 "are fixedly connected with and project "at a right angle from said short lever 'section'at'a point removedfromand-below said-pivots I-Zxto produce a bell-crank construction in which *the armsrfi' in the inclinedposition of the seat-member II are inclined upwardly, while "the ends thereof'withthe pivots 9' carried thereby, in said inclined position of the seat-back=-member, assume a position in substantially the'horizontal plane of the pivots I2 and are movableinadownwardly-and-rearwardly directed arc movement of said'short-lever rearwardly and upwardly.

On the 'entire rear face of the member IIop= posite to said cushion "I 3 a suitable "comfortable spring 'mattress I d is "irreinovably' mounted and isarranged to providea comfortable bedin substantially the same plane as occupied" by thes'e'at when said member :I I is swung on its'pivo ts 12 and thus moved to a horizontal ibedmaking position.

As the pivotally mounted"seat-back member I i, in lounge fo'rming positionyis normally retained'in' aplane'iniwhich the upper section is slightly inclined rearwardlyfrom a; vertical plane, with the cushion I3 normally 'held'in such-"rearwardly-inclined position, :the top' portion-of said seat ba'ck member I I willfin a converting move- -during position and the rear end of the seat portionwill be tilted downwardly and somewhat depressed without, however, dislodging the seat from its lounge-forming position, so that the seat-back and seat members assume an initial neutral or balanced position. Further manual movement will then cause the long section to move forwardlyand downwardly till it assumes a horizontal position and in this movement said short section will be moved, as aforesaid, rearwardly and upwardly in an arc of a circle till said horizontal position is assumed. During such further converting movement the arms 8 will be movable in an are from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position in'which the pivots approach the floor, and in saidconverting movement, said outwardly-projecting arms 8 will shift and carry the seat member 6 downwardly and rearwardly into a stowed position adjacent to the floor while a reverse movement thereof will cause said seat member 6 to be shifted and carried back into its initial lounge-forming posi= tion.

In order to guide and facilitate the said shifting movement of said seat member 6, we provide inclined tracks It for contacting the forward edge 6 of the seat member 6 during movement from its elevated seat-forming position to its lower stowed position and vice versa.

The seat-back member I! and the cushion I3 is preferably securely held and locked by suitable latches in said rearwardly-inclined lounge-form-= ing position, and when said member H is swung into-horizontal position will be securely locked by latches in said bed-making position, with the top of the spring mattress occupying a horizontal plane substantially registering with the plane formerly occupied by 'the'top of the cushion of the seat member. As illustrated, the said seat-back member II is held in its upright position by a locking-bolt I5 releasable by a slotted tilting member w mounted on a horizonta1 shaft i5 and adapted to engage projections [5 on the locking bolt 85. Obviously an arcuate rotary movement of the shaft will cause a tilting of the member W and the withdrawal of the lock ing-bolt from sockets in the upper edge of the member H. Said seat-back member H is held in its bed-making position by a latching member 5 8 pivoted intermediate its ends at IT in bearings 23 on the rear wall 2 of the frame and having at its upper end a panengaging part lfi and at the opposite end a tail portion 19 connected by a spring 2i! with the said rear wall 2. The member iii isso positioned that the engaging part projects slightly into the path of the seat-back member ii and in the converting movement of the seat-back member is moved backwardly against the action of the spring until said seat-back member passes the same, whereupon it will automatically move beneath said member ii to lock the same securely in position. a

It is desirable to release both the locking bolt E5 and the pan-engaging part it by a single op erating element and, as illustrated, we provide on the casing or frame i a double-acting bell-crank lever 2| pivoted at 22 and having one arm 2W pivotally connected to rod 23 which is pivoted to a link 2d adapted to swing the shaft [5 in an arcuate path, as aforesaid, while said bell-crank is provided at the opposite side of said pivot with an arm 2 i pivotally connected to a rod 25.,which is pivotally connected with a link 26 pivoted'on shaft 24% and engageable with the projection 21 on thelatch it to release the same.

latch-releasing member 26 will be duplicated at opposite sides of the seat-back member I l Thus a duplicate member 26* will be mounted on the shaft 25 which, upon movement, will release both latches simultaneously. Said bell crank is operated by an operating arm 21 to which is connected a plunger rod 28 having a knob or handle 22 adapted upon inward pushing, to swing the bell crank about its pivot 22 for the purpose of releasing the latches. The bell-crank and said latching members are normally held in latching position by spring stretched between the operating arm 2& and the frame portion 3 of the device.

In heavy constructions of the type specified, it is desirable to balance the weight of the seat-back liember, it during its converting movements, and

for this purpose we provide at least one conven tional balancing-spring assembly 3! in which the spring 3W is connected by flexible connection 32 with the forward or front face of the short-lever part of the pan ll at 33 and said flexible con nection 32 passes around a pulley 34 journalled on a shaft 3 fixedly mounted in the frame portion 3 of the device in a position below and slightly to the rear of the pivots 12 so that in loungeforming position the pull of the spring will tend automatically to move the seat-back member II fromits rearwardly-inclined position; into'a substantially vertical position when the latch 15 is released, and will thereafter, during a lowering or folding movement, balance the weight of said seat-back member, and in a reconverting movement to lounge-forming position will upon release of the latch it tend to move said member I l into vertical position from which it may be readily moved manually into its normal rearwardly-in-. clined position in which it will be automatically latched by the latch I5.

Movements of the various parts of the devic will be clear from the above description. It will be obvious that manual pressure on the knob 29, when the parts are in lounge-forming position, will release the latch 15 and move, the seat-back members to vertical position from which it may be readily depressed to shift the seat member; to replace said seat in the same movement and to be securely latched in bed-making position, and

also that upon an inward releasing movement of said knob 29 while the device is in horizontal bedmaking position will free the device for a balanced swinging to vertical position and a pushing of the seat upwardly on the track [0 into a supported position inclined in relation to its final seatforming position, and that a subsequent facile movement of the back member from vertical to rearwardly inclined position will cause a latching and secure retention of the parts in lounge-forming position,

Having described our invention, we claim:

l. A convertible bed-lounge, seat-berth or like device embodying, in combination, a stationary couch-frame including a pair of spaced stationary end-frames and a front rail connecting said endframes, a back-member foldable from couchforming to bed-making positions and pivoted intermediate its end edges in said end-frame about an axis positioned to provide a relatively-long portion atone side of said axis an'da relatively 7 It will be understood that the latching member i6 and 7 long cushion-carrying portion of said back-memher being movable forwardly and downwardly from its couch-forming position while the relatively short portion is movable rearwardly and upwardly to cause said back-member to assume a horizontal bed-forming position, a pair of outwardly-extending arms fixed to the front face of said relatively-shortjortion of said back-membe'rand movable during folding of said back member from couch-forming to bed-making position in a downward and rearward direction, a cushione'd seat-mt mhei' having in couch-formingp'o'sition its front-edge portion loosely supported on said stationary front rail and having its rear portion pivotally connected to said outwardlyextending arms, said seat member, upon the bed= making pivotal movement of said back member, being pulled downwardly and rearwardly with said forwardly extending arms, a releasable latching device for retaining said seat member in couch-forming position, a releasable latching device for retaining said back member in bed-making position, mechanism connecting said latching devices, and a single operating element arranged in one of the end members for releasing each oi the latching devices of the back memberin-both its couch-forming and bed-making positions.

2. In a convertible bed lounge, seat berth or the like including a stationary couch frame having a vertically-disposed back frame member and a front rail member; a combined back and bed memberlpivote'd in end members of said couch frame on fixed pivots disposed at approximately seat height aand' positioned and spaced a substantial distance forwardly of the rear edge of said couch frame; said back and bed member being of'sufficient width to provide on its front face at one s'ide o'f said fixed pivots a seat back portion and on its rear face to. provide at both sides of said pivotal axis a full-size bed portion, said back and bed member having on its front faoe at the'side of said fixed pivots opposite to sa id seat -back portion a seat-engaging bracket, a se'at"member'pivotallymoiinted on said bracket'to extend forwardly from said front face of the combined back and bed member into sup= porting contact in couch-forming position with sa-i'ilfront rail member, said combined bed and back 'rnem-ber inbothforwaid and reverse inove= men'ts' about said fixed pivots being adapted to move from a rearwardly' inclined couch-forming. position to a horizontal bed-making positionand to stop at an intermediate mechanically-bail anceddwell position disposed within vertical planes spaced forwardly from said stationary baek frame inemberwith said seat'm'e'mber partially supported in saidi ouchframe and-disposed in balanced'relationship to said pivoted back and bed member and manually-releasable fastening meansgon saids'tationary couch frame engageable' said"llrearwardly-inolined couoh-- forming position of said back" andbed member with an edgetlfiereof to normallyretain the same in said. rearwardl y-inoiined "couch-forming positi'o'n."

31- A convertible bed lounge, seat berth or' the like as claimed in claim 2 in which the figredly pivoted back and bed member together with the seat-carrying bracket and the seat carried thereby are" arranged toform a bell-crank structure adapted in the intermediate mechanically balanced dwell position to support said seat in said couch frame in a downwardly tilted position while said back and bed member is in vertically disposed position 7 I 4.11.1 convertible bed lounge', seat berth or the like 'as cl'aimed" in claim"? which a pulley is mounted beneaththe lower end; of said back and bed member at the rear of the supporting pivots thereof in substantial alignment with the vertical position of said back and bed member'in its intermediate dwell position, a balancing spring is mounted at the front ofsai d couch frame and a flexible connection is connected at one endwith said balancing spring, passed around said pulley and connected to said back and bed memher at a point positioned forwardly of the pivotala'xis of said pulley whereby said balancing spring will, upon release of said fastening means, produce a positive movement of said back and bed member into its initial vertically-disposed intermediate dwell position and thereafter will resist further movement into bed-making. position".

STEPHEN A. KELLY, JR. WILLIAM R. LINDSAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 270327 Meissner l Jan. 7; i883 437,053 Smith et a1 Sept. 23, 1890' 468,368 snyder r Feb. 9,1892- 55,412 owen l 0 May 28,1907 868,000 Owen Oct. 15", 1907' 1,014,535 sweeney V Jan. 9, 1912 1,191,323 Lehman -Ju1 is; 191 6 1328,60; Sandell June 5,1917 1,349,1 2 Kornheim Aug. 10, 1926 2,338,814 Jones Jan. 11, 1944 2,432,572 Jones et a1 Dec. 16,1947

FOREIGN PATENTS Number I countr Date 73244 Germany Jan. 2?, 1894 

